Truck.



E. WHALLEY.

TRUCK.-

APPLICATION FILED IIIAR. 6. I914.

Patented May 4, 1915;

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fon'rrnn s ra rns earner oration.

ENOCH WHALLEY, QF WILLIMANSETT, MASSACHUSETTS.

TRUCK.

, issnm.

To all ac/[ma it may concern Be it known that I, Enocn ll UIALLEY, a citizen of the Unitied States of i imerica, re siding at l'Villimansett, in the county. of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Truck, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates toimprovements in trucks, and more especially to trucks such as are used in factories, warehouses, stores, and other places to haul goods or materials from one point to another by hand, and to such trucks in which the construction is of a nature whereby a horizontal movementis converted into a vertical. movement, and said invention resides in a certain peculiar construction of the. framework of the truck and in certain peculiar means or mechanism, operated by the handle or tongue of the truck. for moving the lq pertruck section in relation to the under truck section, or vice versa, such means or mechanism consisting in part of an equalizer and an extensible kind and for this purpose which is com paratively simple. both in construction and operation. consisting as it does of few parts, light and inexpensive. and, at the same time, very strong" and durable; third, to provide such a truck with an equalizing factor by means of which the raising and lowering operations are easily and quickly performtwl under conditions which require the putting forth of an approximately uniform amount of force on the part of the operation. from start to finish, or, in other words,. the load. in beingelevated, is started slowly and with the minimum expenditure of force. and then. as said load continues to rise, the same force is in part absorbed as it were in the increased speed with which said load moves." so that such minimum expenditure is continuous. and. inversely, the same thing is true or the same action or kind of action takes places when the load is lowered, all of which gives full. and complete control of the. load into the hands of the operator, and,

Patented May at, 1915.

Serial No. 822,967.

fourth, to provide a truck of this type with tially starting the load downward.

This truck is capable of handling a great weight, and it is also sul'liciently low, when the upper section is depressed, to be operated in connection with a stock of goods or material that is supported close to the floor. This last is a desirable feature, because it is desirable to pile or stack the goods or material, which the truck is designed to handle, with as little space between the bottom of the same and the lioor as is practicable. Yet, withal, the truckhas a sutiicient range of elevation.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the course of the following description.

A preferred form of embodimentof the invention, whereby l attain the objects and secure the advantages of the same, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and I will proceed to describe the invention with reference to said drawings, although it is to be understood that the form, construction, arrangement, etc., of the parts in various aspects are not material and may be modified without departure from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings, in which like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views; Figure l is a side elevation of'a truck which embodies my invention as aforesaid, the upper truck section being depressed and the operating parts or. mechanism disposed accordingly: Fig. 2, a central longitudinal vertical section through said truck, said sec-- tion being here raised and the operating parts correspomlingly disposed; Fig. 3, a top plan of said truck, with the parts and members disposed as'in Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a detail in section of the extensible tongue for handle. and, Fig. 5. a cross-section through said handle,takcn just above or forward of the stop shoulder with which said handle is .provided. and showing the attached equalizer member. The front end portion of the tongue is broken oii in Fig. 1. and a porranged to move longitudinaliy or horizon tally and ertically relative to said bod ing respectively designated by the numerals 32, 33, 3st and 3G. The upper ends of the rear links 9 are connected with the rear tiebar 32, between the side pieces 30 and the 5 nuts 33 on said tie-bar, the front links 9 are similarly connected at their upper ends with the forward tie-bar 32, and the link 10, which is the direct actuating linkmember for the platform, is connected at its upper end with said forward tie-bar, between adjacent or contiguous terminals of the braces 36. The spacer sleeve 3i on the back tiebar 32 extends the entire distance between the side pieces 30. ,A starting spring 37 is attached at its front end to the middle tiebar 32, and at its biick end to the back tiebar 2 or the sleeve :l thereon. There are two sleeves 3 on themiddle tie-bar 32, each between one of the side pieces 30 and the end of the spring 37 that is attached, to said tie bar. The arrangement of sleeves, etc. on the front tie-bar is the same as that of corresponding.parts on the front tiebar .2 below. Two lugsor guides 38 are secured to the side pieces 30 and extend downward inside of the side pieces 1, to assist in holding the platform against latcral movement, and the front ends of said side pieces 30 are extended forward beyond the rear of the vertical parts of the plate 5 for the same purpose. The guides 38 are never out of engagement or operative relation with the side pieces 1, and the side pieces 30 are never out of engagement or operative relation with the vertical parts of the plates The plate 35 has a slot 35) therein for the arm 11, and a latch-hook openingl-O, and is provided with a rearedge flange -l1 to serve an abutment for the front of the load at the base.

W hen the platform is in its. low position and resting directly on the body or on the side pieces 1, the links and 10 incline rearwardly from their lower ends, and said links are never brought quite up into vertical position, the arm 11 striking: the front end of the slot 39 before said last-mentioned position is or can be reached. A connecting member such as a chain d2 extends between the arm 11 and th\ adjacent cud of the link .28, and the proportions of parts are Such that, when the platform is down and said arm -consequcntly standing practically in an upright position. the line of draft between the top. of said arm and the pivot 2 is direct, said link then being out of contact with the shoulder 27, as shown in Fig. 'l. but that, when said plat form is elevated. such line of draft through the intervening mechanical part is indirect or in reality two lines which form approximately a "right-angle with each other. as shown in Fig. 2. This change is produced or begins to be produced when the shoulder 2.7 encounters the link 28, as the tonguelfi is its swung forwardly and downwardly on the pivot 17, and so takes said link out of line with the chain %2, said link fulcruming on raid shoulder. At the beginning of they forwardly and downwardly swinging or lifting stroke of the tongue 16, therefore, the draft is direct and most powerful, but the movement is very slow. as should be the case in order to start the platform forward and upwardon the links 9, the latter turning on their tie-bar axes, through the medium of the link 28, the chain 4-2, and the arm 11 and link 10 the latter also turniin on its tie-rod axis, then, as the shoulder "2'1 contacts with said link 28 and causes the latter to begin to describe at the rear or upper end an arc of a circle, the movement is accelerated in compensation for the decrcase. in lifting or propelling force re quircd to carry said platform to its high position, such force continuing to decrease and the speed to increase until such high position is reached. ll'ithout this equalizing provision. or the straight or approximately straight initial draft which changes to an indirect o angular dratt. too much power would be needed to start the load,

or too much lever movement would be required and the movement of the load would be, more modcra to than it should be for practiehl purposes. The same rule applies to the lowering of the load. only inversely, that is to say, the load. under the control of the tongue 16, moves comparatively quickly at the start. the speed decreasing and the power increasing, however, as the link 2* travels upwardly and rcarwardly. until the shoulder .27 leaves said link and the draft is straight, when the maximum power is in control and this at the time that it is most needed. which is as the links 9 rock into their rcarmost positions and the platform settles down onto the body. The object of the spring 38 is to assist in re-' tractingr the platform to start the load (lOWlb wards in the event such assistance isrrquircd.

\Vhcn the platform is actuated forward and upward in the manner above described. the plate 35 rides under the hook of thc latch 20 and said hook enters the opening: 40. then. upon casing up on the tongue it. said platform settles back until caught and held by the now engaging parts of said plate and latch. To rcl asc the platform. thus locked in its elevated position by the latch 20, it is simply nccessauv to bear down on the tongue 16 to force said platform for ward a little, and then to actuate said latch out of engagement with the plate :15, the forward terminal of said latch lltlllg gencr'ally utilixedfor the purposeof rocking the latch on the pivot 18 until the latch hook cl *ars said plate. The platform is now ready to descend under the influence of when the platform is depressed, and usually portable benches are provided to support such goods or materiah'such benches be ng raised, transported, and set down again with the goods or material on them during the entire operation.

Briefly the operation of the truck as a whole is described as follows: The truck, with the tongue 16 down as a rule, is hauled 1 to the vicinity of the load to be moved and its backed up to the same, then said tongue and the latch 20 are manipulated to release and lower the platform, and the truck is backed beneath the load, entering between the side supports for said load, the same being the side supports of the bench when the latter is used. Next the tongue 16is forced forward and downward to raise the load, which includes the bench when present, from the floor on or with the platform, through the medium of the link 10 and intervening parts, and the links 9, and the platform is released to the latch 20. T he tongue 16 is now free to be swung on the pivot 17, and to turn the hanger 13 onthe pivot 14, in the latter op eration the chain 42 swinging with said tongue and the link 28, with the forward end of the arm 11. as a center, without interfering with such operation or with the tongue, because said end of said arm is over said pivot ll. The load is hauled to the desired locality, being steered without difficulty on the way, and then deposited by depressing the tongue to release the latch, disengaging said latch from the plate 35, and

slowly swinging said tongue upwardly and backwardly, which results in the lowering of the platform and so permitting the bench to descend to the floor, or the load withoutthe bench, in the absence of the latter, to descend onto other supporting means. Finally the truck is drawn from beneath the load and out of the way.

When the mechanism is operated to elevate the load and the platform comes into contact with the under surface of the load, there is usually so much frictional resistance that said platform isheld stationary while the body of thetruck moves backward on the wheels 8, but the desired result (if.

elevating the platform and carrying the load up with it is attained just ,the same as ea'thougmthe body were held=stationary and the platform were moved forwardly as well as upwardly.

At l8land 44%, respectively, are represented rivets and spacer washers for either pair of braces (6 or 36). The braces 6 and 36 afford powerful supporting, strengthening, and stiffening means for the two tie-rods with which the link 10 is connected and through the medium of which much of the work of raising and lowering is done,

A, lug 4C5 may be provided on the uppgr or back side of the tongue 16 and positioned to contact with the front edge of the plate 5, when said tongue is thrown upwardly and rearwardly, to limit such movement on the part of the tongue.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The combination, in a truck, of a body, a superimposed platform, links connecting said body and platform, an operating armprovided link independent of said first-mentioned links, means operatively to connect opposite ends of said ar'nrpi-ovided link with said body and platform at points that are back of their front'ends, a tongue pivotally connected with saidbody, and permanent connections between the arm of said arm-provided link and said tongue.

2. The combination, in a truck, of a body, a superimposed. platform, links connecting said body and platform, an operating armprovided link independent of said first mentioned links, means operatively to connect opposite ends of said arnrprovided link with said body and platform at points that are back of their front ends, a tongue pivot ally connected with said body, permanent connections between the arm of said armprovided link and said tongue, and locking means to hold said platform in its elevated position, and to release the same.

3. The combination, in a truck, a body and a superimposed link connected platform, said body and platform having attaching members for." a link back of their front ends, an operating arm-provided link connecting said attaching members, a tongue pivotally connected with. said body, a link pivoted to said tongue, and connecting means between said last mentioned link and the arm of said first mentioned link connection.

4. The combination, in a truck, of a body and a superimposed link connected platform such body and platform having at taching. members back of their front ends for a link, an operating armrovided link connecting said attaching menl ers, a tongue pivotally connected with said body and provided with a shoulder, a link pivoted to said tongue in operative position relative to said .shoulder, and connecting means between said last mentioned link and the arm of said first mentioned link.

5. The combination, in a truck, of abody and a superimposed link connected platform provided with transverse members, which extends from side to side of said body and platform, an intermediate operating link connected with said members obliquely arranged, braces between the sides of said body and platform and said members, and

operating means for said link.

6. lhe combination, in a truck, with relatively movable upper and under sections, of

\ a slotted tongue pivotally connected with one of said sections, an arm pivotally attached to said tongue and adapted to lie in saidslot below or back of the free end of said tongue, and to be turned outwardly to project beyond said free end of said tongue,

and means to actuate one of said sections relativqteftlie'other through the medium of said tongumf 7. The combination, in a truck, with relatively movable upper and under sections, of a tongue pivotally connected with one of such sections, an arm pivotally attached to said tongue and adapted to be disposed below or back of the free end thereof, and to be turned outwardly to project beyond said free end, means to retain said arm in rigid connection with said tongue, when the former is turned outwardly, and means to actuate one of said sections relative to the other through the medium of said tongue.

ENGCH WHALLEY.

Witnesses:

A. O. FAIRBANKS, F. A. CUTTER. 

